Race hate in Tulsa, a lesson for us all

May 31, 1921. Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1921, Greenwood (a community in Tulsa) was one of the most prosperous African-American communities in the U.S. Serving over 8,000 residents, Greenwood’s commercial district was known nationally as the ‘Negro Wall Street’. The community boasted two newspapers, over a dozen churches, and hundreds of African-American-owned businesses. (2) On the evening of May 31, 1921, the African-American Greenwood community of Tulsa, Oklahoma was ravaged by a White mob. By the conclusion of the riot at midday, June 1, virtually every building in a 42-square-block area of the community--homes, schools, churches, and businesses--was burned to the ground and thousands were left homeless. Over 1,200 homes were destroyed. Every church, school, and business in Greenwood was set on fire. Approximately 8,000 African-Americans were left homeless and penniless. Unable to rebuild, thousands of residents spent the winter of 1921-1922 in tents.  Credible evidence supports the belief that up to 300 African-Americans were killed during the riot. As many victims were buried in unmarked graves, an exact accounting is impossible. Text above from the H.R. 5593: John Hope Franklin Tulsa-Greenwood Race Riot Claims Accountability Act of 2012, submitted by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Full bill: http://bit.ly/LWdKVu PLEASE READ AND SHARE the lesson/article by Rethinking Schools editor Linda Christensen called "Burning Tulsa: The Legacy of Black Dispossession" on CommonDreams.org: http://bit.ly/13heifI and/or GOOD: http://bit.ly/12Lb7w6 and/or The Huffington Post: http://huff.to/19narT4 Photo: Documenting damage. Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society.